Premaitha receives support loan in Illumina battle

The company behind the IONA prenatal test for Downs Syndrome has received a £2.1 million ($2.9 million) to finance its ongoing patent battle with American Illumnia. UK-based Premaitha Health received the loan from Thermo Fisher Scientific.

Thermo Fisher Scientific is not a party to the litigation and has loaned the money on a commercial basis, secured on the shares of Premaitha Health’s Taiwanese subsidiary, Yourgene Bioscience Co.

The battle has been ongoing since 2017, with the first major setback for Premaitha coming in November 2017 when a High Court ruled the IONA test infringed on Illumina Inc’s patent in ‘certain respects’.

It is hoped that by pumping more money into the case, Premaitha can fight back with a fair trial.